It is once again time for me to start "swimming the English Channel" -- 21 miles in a pool with 23-yard lanes. This year, the contest spans 43 days, from 6 August through 17 September. Since I've been back in Kuwait, I've been training for this at an average of about 10 miles per week.
Last year, I did this after a nearly 20-year hiatus from any type of swimming at all (besides coaching the kids' team in Korea). I surprised myself by finishing in 12 days, winning the 30-39 male category (despite some 30-year-old guy who swam his way through college, started the contest late, and finished with over 110 miles). This year, I plan on sprinting through the initial swim in at most the first 6 days, swimming only in the early morning or at night. I have every day in the contest mapped out as to how many laps I'll swim; when it's over, I will have completed over 100 miles. Time will tell how those plans go!
Additionally, some friends and I are planning on a long bicycle ride in honor of the "Hotter 'n Hell Hundred," a race in Wichita Falls, Texas, on 23 August. The race organizers sent me about 100 t-shirts last November, which I handed out. This year, they want to know if we're going to ride. Some of you know I have my road bicycle here now, and have ridden around Camp Arifjan a few times in the early morning hours. I only know of three others who also have road bicycles, and they're game for the long ride. We'll probably only do 100 kilometers, about 4 hours of riding.
So by the middle of next month, I will have completed over 100 miles swimming and over 100 miles biking.
I still hate running.
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